Thankfulness

I want to begin this morning by offering thanks and praise to God for His protection last night during the storms that moved through our area.  Some of the surrounding communities received damage but our immediate community was spared any damage or destruction.  Our prayers have been with the victims of the tornadoes that have been very destructive in the Midwest over the past few days.  I feel that I need to share my heart regarding some words and phrases that I have heard or read over the past few weeks.  We have heard talk of the "judgment of God", "the wrath of God", "the vengeance of God", or even "the fury of God" being revealed and released in the storms that have stricken the Southeast and Midwest over the past several weeks.  Many of these phrases have been used in connection with the need for America to "repent" and turn our hearts back to God.  I truly believe that America is in need of a great awakening which will lead to a revival or turn around in our attitudes toward God and toward our fellow man.  But I also believe that we need to be careful and not place the full weight of guilt and sin upon the backs of those people who lost their lives, their possessions, or family members to the destruction of these storms.  Each one of us have plenty of room to draw closer to God and each of us have "weights and sins" that need to be laid aside in our race of life.  I do believe that God does speak to us in the midst of difficulties and I believe He does speak to us through the fury of nature and other national disasters that take place in the course of human history.  History books have recorded great outpourings of the Holy Spirit in the midst of very trying circumstances.  We do not need to miss those moments of opportunity to recognize the voice of our Father calling us into His presence for comfort, reassurance, and in some cases repentance.

Here is a thought that I believe the Holy Spirit placed in my heart this morning.  We have seen and heard the videos of people who were caught in the terrible throes of these storms.  Many of them can be heard praying and crying out to God for mercy and help.  I am sure that if I had been in that same position some of those same words would have been heard coming from my mouth.  I am a firm believer that the Word of God teaches us to cry out to God in times of trouble and challenge. What if we prayed just as fervent and serious in the times of blessing as we do in the times of challenge?  What if we offered God praise in direct proportion to the times that we seek His assistance?  What if we honored God in the time of plenty as well as in the times of lack?  What if we looked to God as the Answer for all of the ills of life and not just the moments that we are in need of rescue?  I am not just making reference to these terrified people who were caught in the midst of theses devastating and destructive tornadoes; no, I am referring to all of us who are alive at this very moment.  Don't you think that God is talking to all of us and not just to a segment of our nation?  A great sadness has swept our nation; a great outpouring of concern and assistance has swept our nation; and a great desire to pray for these victims and survivors has swept our nation.  But will we allow the Holy Spirit to grip our hearts and draw us near to Him so that we can see the salvation of our family and friends?  Each of us need to answer that question and each of us need to respond to the Holy Spirit in obedience and surrender.  I for one choose to make the appropriate response to God to the best of my ability.